Hip-Hop History Month: Where In The Rap Are We At?!
“…You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far.”
— “Juicy” (1994)
The Notorious B.I.G. (1972 – 1997)
It seems to be a notion that rap fans everywhere have often taken a minute to sit with ever since the late Christopher Wallace first spit such illustrious words on wax many, many moons ago. The lyrics are especially significant as we surpass hip-hop’s milestone 50th anniversary celebration that took over 2023 with grandstanding festivities all year long. Well, we’re now two years removed from all the whistles and horns, yet it feels in many ways like the culture has been dialing it back in a big way.
For instance, let’s look at a debate that’s been circulating for much of this month surrounding rap music and the coveted Billboard Hot `100. With the last chart for the month locked in the books as of yesterday (November 25), we can officially report that only two hip-hop songs appeared in the Top 40 for the entire duration of Hip-Hop History Month 2025. Of those two “rap drought saviors,” both fell out of the Top 40 by the time the next chart update was posted a week later. One song didn’t even see a Week 3; the other is sitting five spots below its previous peak following a 15th week on the chart.
It’s the latest blow to a longstanding streak in hip-hop that ended back in October after a whopping three-and-a-half-decade chart reign.
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To look back 20 years ago during a time that many would consider to be a Golden Era in rap, these rubbish results would be far from the case. The number one song in the country was hip-hop — “Gold Digger” by Kanye West, in its 10th week on top no less — with The Black Eyes Peas and Jeezy rounding out the top five, respectfully. Overall, 15 out of the Top 40 were hip-hop songs or featured a hip-hop artist in November 2005.
Even 10 years ago in comparison wouldn’t have been the case. Drake was sitting only behind Adele — hello! — with his earth-shattering hit, “Hotline Bling.” Not far behind was Fetty Wap at number 9 (“679”), Drake again alongside Future at 16 (“Jumpman”), Macklemore during his breakout year at 21 (“Downtown”), iHeartMemphis — remember him?! —right behind at 22 (“Hit the Quan”), Fetty Wap staying on Drizzy’s neck with another one himself at 24 (“Trap Queen”), pop star Selena Gomez rising the charts with help from A$AP Rocky at 25 (“Good For You”), Travis Scott in his peak era at 27 (“Antidote”), Future and Drake — yes, again! — at number 30 (“Where Ya At”), Wiz Khalifa riding high on anthem status at number 34 (“See You Again”), Fetty Wap really going neck and neck with a third hit at 35 (“My Way”), Post Malone during his rap phase at 36 (“White Iverson”) and finally Fetty Wap with an impressive fourth song within the Top 40 at number 39 (“Again”).
2025 in comparison is laughable, particularly when considering each of the aforementioned names as they stand in the game today. Kanye West has all but turned his back on any and everyone who doesn’t agree with his bigoted ideologies. In the past five years alone, Fetty Wap has been divorced, tragically lost a daughter and most recently been imprisoned in a correctional facility. Both Macklemore and IHeartMemphis are nowhere to be found, Post Malone decided to go country and despite the weight that A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott and Wiz Khalifa each still hold in the game, neither has managed to create any real fanfare around their single releases or album drops within the past few years.
Aside from Future, who made history in 2024 as the first rapper to drop three number one albums in a calendar year, the hip-hop hitmakers of yesteryear are barely in the zeitgeist a decade later. What does that say about the genre of rap when Tame Impala, the hit psychedelic rock band who got its start back in 2007, is still riding high on the Alternative/Rock charts based on the success of their fifth studio album released last month? How has CeCe Winans been able to graciously stay afloat over in the world of gospel for well over 40 years, yet the announcement that Nas and DJ Premier are dropping a long-awaited collaborative album titled Light-Years in a few weeks (December 12) barely moved the needle?
While hip-hop is in serious need of some help at the moment, all hope isn’t lost by a long shot. The 2026 GRAMMYs ceremony is gearing up to be a memorable night for the culture with three rap albums nominated in the coveted Album Of The Year category— it’s a first in Recording Academy history. If either Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator or Clipse win, it will be the first time since Outkast took home the gramophone all the way back in 2004 — you know, when the culture was still in its peak.
On Tuesday night (November 25), we got to sit in on a private screening in NYC for a mini documentary that tells the background story of BK Gudda, a rising emcee out of Brooklyn signed to rap icon Busta Rhymes’ The Conglomerate imprint. It detailed his tale from foster care to imprisonment and eventually on the right path today which includes a megamix collab alongside the aforementioned Rhymes, as well as heavyweights like Papoose, Big Daddy Kane, Lil Fame & Billy Danze of M.O.P., Tek & Steele of Smif-N-Wessun, Buckshot, Talib Kweli, Rampage, Gorilla Nems, Maino and Spiff Star.
Speaking in a timely sit-down discussion following the screening, Busta spoke to his current mindset as a hip-hop artist and manager in 2025 who happens to have over 30 years of success under his belt, telling the audience, “I’m clear on exactly what I know [needs] to be done in understanding how the eras have changed. I think the most important thing that I value and I hold on to the most — and I’m never going to fix this, because it ain’t broke! — is the fact that I don’t allow myself to stray from feeling, soul, instinct and listening to the way the sound makes you feel. That data analytic and algorithm shit really fucks people up — a lot of executives and artists within the last year have lost their jobs. The same ones that used to sit in those rooms and say, ‘Your new artist don’t got enough engagement on his Instagram’ or ‘He doesn’t have enough followers on his Twitter‘; they’re all looking for homes and new jobs now. Some of them call our phones and want to consult. I used to sit in those meetings and go, ‘Damn: so you’re really going to miss out on the next possible B.I.G. or 2Pac because they don’t got enough social media engagement?”
The OG might have a point.
